Bricks and Mortar - Greek Style

So I've been spending a lot of time lately talking to people about bricks and mortar.  You are probably thinking that there is only so much time you can spend on this topic, but trust me when I say this topic leads to seemingly endless conversations.  For me at least, the bricks and mortar topic relates to the Greek system at the University of Illinois.  There are two things that have commanded my attention during the past few years.

The first is the capital campaign for my own chapter.  We are embarking on a $3.5 million renovation of a 100+ year old building.  More than 25 very talented people have been soliciting donations, making plans, meeting with architects and laying out the future for our chapter.  It is certainly a fun project, especially when I have the chance to get on the phone with brothers from the past and catch up on old times.  Our chapter house has about 10 good years left in it, maybe.  But this plan will extend the life another 50 at least.

The second involves the UI Greek system as a whole.  The UI housing division recently announced they were ending a clause that allowed freshman to transfer into a fraternity house for a minimal breakage fee.  The UI now wants 75% of the contract value to break their agreements.  Frankly, I never understood why the housing division allowed us to buy out their contracts for just $1000.  I think in part the UI housing was over capacity for years and it helped them to thin the ranks.  But that is no longer the case, and the buy outs cost them over $500,000 in revenue annually.

If you have followed the political rhetoric you may have heard our president's commitment to "keeping the cost of higher education affordable."  I know I heard that Tuesday night again.  Well part of the this relates to the the UI's decision to keep their residents and their money.  Seems logical right?  It does to me as well.  

This decision brought leaders from several rival fraternities to negotiate an extension of the buyouts for at least another year.  I won't bore you with the details, but just let me say an eight month negotiation went from a 4 year extension, to a 2 year extension, to a one year extension to none.  

So bricks and mortar have absorbed my time. But these meetings with other fraternity alumni leaders have reminded me we have other issues than bricks and mortar.  We all have a set of ideals we are pledged to.  All are different, but all are similar in nature as we all have pledged our lives to be better men and help our fellow men to be better as well.  

I'm not sure when being a fraternity meant having a house. Certainly at the UI in the early 1900's you needed a high school diploma and a LEASE to get into school.  Having a place to live was a prerequisite.  Post World War II the UI exploded and didn't have enough housing and the Greek system grew.  And the system grew again in the late 60's and early 70's.

My time in Ol' 911 was special, and I truly loved the experience of living with and sharing ideas morning, noon and night with my chapter brothers.  I believe the single GREATEST value of fraternity life is that it teaches our men to negotiate and compromise.  You don't have to learn this in a dorm, or in a apartment and maybe in your house for the rest of your life.  But you do need to learn it in the work place.   Chapters without houses don't get as many spontaneous opportunities for brothers to state their case, defend it and then deal with the end result.  They get some, and I believe it's still a value, but they don't get as many.

So bricks and mortar will continue to monopolize my time for the next few months and probably years.  And that's ok, because deep down I know that these bricks and this mortar is helping young men prepare themselves for a better life.